Celebrating the everyday heroes in our city: How the Leeds United Foundation is changing lives
Giving young people a voice, a safe space and a future … find out how two organisations are working together, celebrating the amazing force showing Yorkshire Runs on Heroes.
Not all heroes wear capes… some wear school uniforms, football boots or even office attire!
Now an innovative initiative run by some of the most engaged people in the city is transforming young lives in Yorkshire, powered by the mighty badge of Leeds United.
The Leeds United Foundation aims to create opportunities for young people, improving their wellbeing; helping them stay in school, or finding them apprenticeships or employment.
And Frances Milner, the passionate CEO of the Foundation, says working hand-in-hand with the football club, and its partner Employment Hero UK, is changing lives.
“We are a one club city, we are a very well-loved club, and the power of the badge, and the support Leeds United has in the city is amazing.
“And we take the power of the badge and create opportunities for young people and the communities around them to thrive. So what that looks like is running three programmes of wellbeing, education into employability, and sport, with around 40,000 people in the city every single year.”
The ways they are helping are innovative and effective. There’s the safe space for football training for boys and girls, holiday clubs with hot meals and hampers for families, wellbeing sessions, and in the most recent collaboration, the setting up of a DWP Youth Hub at Elland Road.
We've seen over 200 young people in our Youth Hub to date and we've got 50 of those young people into jobs, training, or further apprenticeship opportunities and it's obviously all back to the power of the badge. If you're a young person looking for work or further training our Youth Hub at the stadium is an exciting and welcoming place to come. Because of this our employability work has been really, really powerful.
Legends at awards celebration
Other success stories have included getting children who have low school attendance back to 100 per cent and giving others the confidence to progress and thrive.
A celebration of all the good work takes place at Elland Road on October 14, at the annual awards ceremony, where Leeds legends Eddie Gray and Tony Dorigo will join current players and well-wishers as they celebrate young people.
Employment Hero UK, which runs its own charity, the Hero Foundation, is a proud partner of the football club, supporter of the Foundation and is a category sponsor at the awards.
Frances explained: “What became very clear to us, is that us and Employment Hero, we have aligned objectives. What Employment Hero does through its charity, the Hero Foundation, is all about removing barriers to employment. So of course, you put the two things together and we thought we should really be working together.”
Maisie Goss, VP Marketing UK, Employment Hero said “Leeds has always been a city that backs its own and nobody embodies that more than the Leeds United Foundation. What Frances and the whole team at the Foundation do every day to connect people with real opportunities, remove barriers and create genuine pathways into work is remarkable. The scale of it, and the care behind it, is something we have a huge amount of respect for. Employment Hero is very proud to be supporting that work through the Hero Foundation, and we look forward to making a real, lasting difference together.”
Outside of the work with young people, the Leeds United Foundation also hosts regular Veterans’ café sessions and a dementia club called Corner Flag, helping to reduce loneliness and improve inclusion and community in the city.
Find out more about the Hero Foundation here.
And find out more about Employment Hero UK’s campaign All Heroes, Aren’t We? go here.
This interview is part of a content series called Yorkshire Runs on Heroes, supporting Employment Hero's campaign All Heroes, Aren’t We?, which aims to celebrate the everyday heroes and businesses throughout the county making a huge difference to the region.